the Carrot and the Stick

Factual Questions
1

I often hear people refer to “the carrot and the stick” as two seperate items–one a reward, one a punishment–when using the phrase as a metaphor for motivation. For example: “The USA offered discounted wheat sales as the carrot, and ICBMs as the stick when trying to influence the old Soviet Union.”

But I always thought that the expression refered to a trick used to bait someone into action. For example, a carrot dangling from a stick attached to Bugs Bunny’s back. The carrot is therefore always JUST out of reach, but Bugs keeps moving forward trying, futiley, to reach the carrot.

What gives?? Cecil? Anyone???

PS-- wouldn’t this question command an OUTSTANDING illustation for The Straight Dope???

2

I think your wrong as the carrot OR stick approach predates disney. While the imagry of hanging a carrot in front of a stupid mule is amusing I suspect no one has ever had success with it outside cartoons.

When trying to get a stubborn mule into a stall on the other hand one could put carrots in the stall to lure him in or beat him in with a stick. These are approaches that do have some connection with reality.

3

I learned it the way you did (possibly from Bugs?) but apparently quite a few folks think of it as a reward/punishment expression.

Here’s a thread on the subject on a phrase derivation bulletin board.